Laser Cutting Kerf Compensation Calculator
Screen half-kerf path offsets and the corresponding manual contour dimensions for external profiles and internal openings.
Results
Engineering method
Kerf is the material width removed by the process. A centerline toolpath normally requires a half-kerf offset. For a target outside dimension, a manually compensated source contour is enlarged by one kerf; for a target internal opening it is reduced by one kerf. Production CAM normally applies this automatically and process trials should establish the real kerf.
Path offset = kerf / 2; external source dimension = target + kerf; internal source dimension = target − kerf.
Professional references
These references establish the standards, technical framework or authoritative engineering context used for this page. Vendor commercial terms are not used as engineering evidence.
- BIPM SI Brochure, 9th edition, updated 2026 — Primary international reference for SI units and unit expression.
- NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units — U.S. NIST guidance for SI use and unit conversions.
- NIST 2026 Roadmap on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Smart Manufacturing — 2026 NIST roadmap covering industrial AI, robotics, additive and laser-based manufacturing, digital twins and supply-chain optimization.
Commercial independence
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